A/N: Always fishing for reviews! XD

Chapter 4

Nami drifted in and out of consciousness, a sense of weightlessness carrying her along.

What had she been doing? There was a tight feeling in her chest- a vice on her heart- like she had been having some kind of a nightmare that she couldn't quite remember. She saw flashes of grey stone in movement, and then blackness, and then…

She was on the Merry- her first night as an actual, official Straw Hat. Three days of partying in her home village had hardly seemed to temper the enthusiasm of the crew, and on that first night no one had really wanted to be the first to go to bed. It was a continuation of the celebration of the end of Arlong Park, and at the same time it was a celebration of something entirely new.

Even Zoro was awake, everyone sitting around by the helm, eating snacks Sanji had provided and drinking beer. Nami had been trying to explain their route to the Red Line, but it was pretty clear no one was really following her words. It was enough that they were going- it was enough that they relied on her. Clearly, they would literally be lost without her help.

They needed her. She was free, and with people who she could genuinely call her friends. That… had never happened before. It felt strange, to let her guard down and just be normal and easy with a group of friends.

"Nami-swan!" called the cook as he returned from the kitchen. He was effortlessly balancing a tray with refills, and Nami happily accepted the drink. Sanji had offered to make her anything she wanted, but right now she just wanted to continue laughing and drinking out of a big oversized and oh-so-pirate-y stein and talking to everyone about shit that mattered, and shit that didn't matter, and even listening to Usopp's made-up shit.

"I've heard that on the grand line, there's an island made entirely of candy," Usopp said out of nowhere, which certainly caught their captain's interest.

"Whoaaaa? So cool! I want to eat it."

"The whole island!?"

With a head cocked to the side, Luffy thought, as if it were a serious question. "No. We need a meat island. That one would be better."

"Eh, well, when we find All Blue, we'll have any kind of fish you could possibly want to eat," Sanji said, his grin splitting wider as the conversation turned to his dream location.

This continued, each speculating on the strange islands they had heard about, or the crewmates they hoped to find… it was now full-dark, the stars shining in the clear night sky. By looking up, Nami could easily tell they were safely on-route, and the weather was steady. All was well.

"Usopp," she asked, turning towards the sniper. "How did you beat Chew, anyway?"

"Oh, ho! So, you want to hear the heroic tale!? The battle was truly epic-"

She rolled her eyes. "If I wanted the bullshit version, I would have listened to you repeat it for three days straight. Which I did."

He deflated a little bit, but Nami was quick to wave a hand in the air in apology. "No, I mean, you did actually beat the guy… so tell me how. For real. I'm curious."

There was something in the corners of her eyes. Some kind of faded blackness… like the edges of her vision were obscured. She blinked, and it was gone… but when she looked up, the others were gone. It was just her and Usopp, still sitting on the deck of the Merry. The same conversation, but… this wasn't how it happened. Everyone had been there.

This was happening, but this had already happened.

She felt a moment of confusion, the edges of her vision growing blurry again, before snapping back to the conversation as Usopp answered her. "Ah, right, well… first, I loaded my Ginga Pachinko and set my sights on the target, waiting as he charged me until I could see the whites of his eyes-"

"...Usopp."

"...Okay. I threw a bottle of alcohol at him and lit him on fire."

Nami stared, and then quite unexpectedly burst out laughing. Usopp seemed a bit offended, brows drawn as he frowned at her. "Hey, it was a smart plan, and it sounds a lot cooler if I build the story up a little-"

"No," Nami said, wiping at the tears that had sprung to her eyes in her laughter, "I'm not laughing because it's a bad strategy. I'm laughing because it's so… simple, and obvious, and yet I've never once seen anyone try anything like that. Of course fishmen would be particularly susceptible to fire- they can't handle particularly hot summer days. It was a smart plan, Usopp."

"And then I hit him with a hammer."

"Again- simple, but efficient. I think the facts are more impressive than that long-winded story you were spreading around town."

"I- really?"

"Yeah. You've got tactical skills. I know a thing or two about that- I respect it."

"I know you do…" he muttered, drinking from his mug as his eyes drifted down to her bandaged hand.

Nami had healed up pretty well from all of her various self-inflicted wounds, but the one on her hand kept breaking open when she used it. She kept it wrapped just to be safe, but it was healing.

"Yeah," she grinned, "Us weaklings have to be clever as hell, huh?" He was still staring at the hand, obviously lost in thought, so she took another drink from her own cup. In reality, she had turned to listen to an argument between Sanji and Zoro but now… there was no one there. Just Usopp.

A crack ran down the night sky as her vision darkened. She tried to blink it away but couldn't quite manage.

"You really thought I was going to kill you, huh?" she asked, smirking into her mug.

"I- well- er, yes."

A little puff of air escaped her lungs, almost a laugh.

"But that's just it," Usopp continued. "That's the last time that will ever be the case- I know I can trust you. You're nakama. You've got my back."

Was that true? Would they really never doubt her again? As someone who had never had- never deserved- much trust from anyone, it was a lot to take in. And she… she trusted them. All of them. All four of them had risked their lives to take down her oppressors, despite her betrayal.

She nodded, taking a longer drink to hide the tears prickling at the back of her eyes. No, she was not going to get a reputation as the emotional drunk on this ship. Rein it in, Nami.

She looked up, and noticed there were fewer stars than before. The crack was spreading, eating them up. She frowned. That seemed… off.

Suddenly, there were hands on her upper arms. She lowered her mug, a bit shocked. That strange feeling was returning to her gut. There was something very important she was forgetting, and every nerve in her body was screaming, "danger!"

Usopp was staring at her as he held her out at arm's length. His grip was bruising. The stars were all going out rapidly, now, one-by-one. "This is bad, Nami."

"..oh?"

"He can't marry you if you're already married to me, right?"

Darkness.

Her eyes shot open, the world fuzzy as her brain tried to wrap itself around what her eyes were presenting it. She was being held... The grip was real, two strong hands keeping her upright as something approached her face.

Lips. Big, fuzzy, gross lips.

"Get off me asshole!" she managed, struggling in Absalom's grip. His hand was iron on her upper arm, and her struggling seemed rather useless, but she tried anyway.

"Ah, my beautiful bride has finally awakened!" the man said, as if he wasn't some kind of predator, attacking her in her sleep. "You missed most of the wedding, but we're just at the best part."

Missed… what the actual fuck? She looked down, noticing what she was wearing.

A wedding dress. He had… changed her!? A shiver ran up her spine so hard her whole body shook in his arms. Her disgust was so absolute… and so was her anger.

THUMP!

The chamber they were in certainly looked like a chapel, but only a couple members of the dead were in attendance.

THUMP!

There were huge oversized wooden doors down the aisle, and they were currently moving slightly with each loud sound.

THUMP!

Absalom looked annoyed at the sound, a low growl emitted from his throat. Nami tried to use the momentary distraction to pull from his grasp, and in the process noticed something… odd. There was a weight on her hip… no way… her kidnapper had left her armed?

Her Clima-Tact was still attached to her hip where she had kept it earlier, now clipped to a ribbon around the waist of her gown. Granted, it was not a good sign that he considered her so non-threatening, but at the moment, with him distracted, she thought she might be able to use that to her advantage. She tried to reach for her weapon without him noticing- a feat made difficult by his iron grip.

THUMP!

"It's a PULL door!" the lion-man finally yelled, "And how dare you interrupt my wedding with such idiotic-"

The door was pulled open, a familiar feathered-hat coming into view.

No. Way.

It was Usopp, desperately trying to look cool despite his lame entrance, chest a little puffed up and hands at his hips. He looked a little worse-for-wear, but the confident grin on his face seemed fairly genuine. Nami had no idea how long she had been unconscious, but Usopp had apparently been up to something in that time that left him pretty pleased with himself.

He may have been a little later than Nami would have liked, but boy was she relieved to see a familiar face. It was amazing he had managed to track her down in this giant castle...

"Absalom!" Usopp yelled, and Nami hoped the lion-man would buy his false-bravado despite the shaking she spied in his legs, "Let go of Nami, or else! You don't want to face me! I, the great Captain Usopp, have just defeated Perona and her entire zombie menagerie. If you want to run now, I'd be willing to spare you." He punctuated the last words by pulling back the strings of his weapon and letting something fly at the two zombie servants in the room. Whatever it was, they gulped it down, and something black and thick seemed to flow up into the open air from their gaping maws.

They slumped to the ground, dead.

Absalom's grip tightened, annoyance clear on his face.

Nami didn't stop to think too hard about what had just happened, as she managed to reach her Clima-Tact and pull it free from her hip.

"Thunderbolt Tempo!" she cried, frying her captor. Like last time, he seemed stunned by her attack, unmoving but also disturbingly unharmed. He was still standing, and as she struggled she realized his grip was as tight as ever. "Ah! Help!" she called out to Usopp, who was making his way quickly forward anyway.

"Uh, right…" he muttered, grabbing ahold of the lion-man's arm and pulling. Nami squirmed, and Usopp pulled at the arms, and nothing moved.

Except, of course, for Absalom's eyes, shifting to stare at Usopp.

The arm Usopp had been pulling at suddenly moved, grabbing at the front of his overalls and pushing him back forcefully with a growl, throwing him several yards away. Nami raised a high heeled foot in retaliation, slamming it down on the toe of his shoe with all the force she could muster.

Finally- he let go of her other arm with a scream of pain.

She didn't waste the opportunity, jumping down the two stairs of the platform at the front of the chapel and over to where Usopp had landed. To his credit, he was already crouched and loading his Kabuto, aiming at the lion-man as Nami reached him, taking a defensive stance at his side with her Clima-Tact.

Absalom was jumping comically on one leg, holding his injured foot as if that would help his pain. Once again, Nami didn't think she had done any actual damage. More like… she had managed to piss him off.

Before the monster could turn his attention back to them, Usopp released a series of bright green colored bombs. It was still close range- closer than either of them would have liked- the force of the blast knocking them both on their asses. Before the smoke cleared, Usopp reached out and grabbed Nami's forearm.

"Hey, stick close, or he might do that disappear-y thing on you again."

She nodded. Neither of them were any good in close combat, and neither of them could use their weapons to any real effectiveness one handed. Nevertheless, Nami hooked her arm around Usopp's waist as they both stood, grabbing at a loop in his overalls as if she half expected to feel herself tugged away at any minute. This was probably a smart decision- the lingering acrid green smoke from Usopp's attack had now fully dissipated, and Absalom was nowhere to be seen.

He was certainly heard, though.

"If this is some kind of attempt to keep me from my bride, it's pretty pathetic," the voice echoed, the last words ringing around the high-domed ceiling as the speaker paused to growl, low and deep. "I suppose a public ceremony wasn't the best idea, with the castle under attack. Come, my bride, we can go somewhere more private to complete our vows…"

"I have been unconscious for this whole circus!" Nami yelled, getting extremely annoyed. "Vows my ass!" They were both backing up, slowly, Usopp still shaking quite a bit but managing to pull out a regular hammer. He kept it low and hidden by his cape, as if hoping to catch the lion-man by surprise.

If they could figure out where the hell the invisible man even was. The echoing chamber wasn't really conducive to that point. Nami held her Clima-Tact up like a javelin, not sure what she could do while still holding tight to Usopp, but also agreeing that letting go would be a really, really bad idea. She was terrified she would trip in the long gown and high heels- backing up was hard enough… what would happen when they needed to run?

CRASH!

The wood of the door suddenly splintered inward, the "pull door" bending to the will of something very powerful.

Without looking back, Usopp grinned. "Yeah, pretty pathetic for an escape attempt, but pretty great for a stalling attempt!" he yelled, looking pretty confident.

The dust cleared as they turned towards the door, a large figure filling the space. Lola. Not, as Nami probably would have suspected given Usopp's reaction, one of their nakama.

Was this good or bad?

"Ab-sama!" the creature cried enthusiastically, bounding into the room as if it were a fabulous entrance to a party. "I know you're in here!~3"

Absalom appeared, far too close to the two pirates for their liking. He was effectively cutting off their exit to the door, so the two retreated sideways with a little shuffle into the pews, both looking extremely nervous. Would Lola help them?

"Lola! You are ignoring directions- you need to be helping Perona-"

"I can't find her! And anyway, you're my number one priority, Ab-sama!"

She turned her huge head in their direction, eyes narrowed. "How dare you try and marry my Absalom? She asked, eying them up and down, "Especially in front of your husband. How tactless!"

The two had reached the wall beside the row of pews. They placed their backs resolutely to it, as Nami worked up a response. "Lola! My friend! I didn't ask for this- you know that! Usopp came here to try and, uh, talk some sense into your fiance. Absalom kidnapped me!" Her arm was still wrapped tightly around her friend, and even though the lion-man was now visible, she kept it there for good measure. It couldn't hurt her case, anyway.

"Is that so?" The warthog asked, and left the words hanging in the air for one long dramatic pause before immediately switching gears and lunging for the now-visible general and attempting to kiss him wildly. The man was unable to dodge the attack fully, landing hard on the ground before kicking Lola away and running for the front platform.

"Lola! I'm serious! You need to leave- I'm marrying that wo… wait, did you say husband? She has a husband?"

"Marry me, Ab-sama! Right here and now!" Lola turned to Nami, and her usual gauche grin seemed just a bit wider. "And isn't it obvious that she has a husband? Are you blind?"

"We gotta get the hell out of here," Usopp whispered, and Nami had a feeling he was predicting what was about to happen next. She agreed, the two shuffling right towards the now wide-open-and-destroyed doorway.

Absalom seemed completely flummoxed for several glorious seconds, which the pair used to creep closer to the open doorway.

"Her… husband….?" the lion man muttered quietly to himself, before finally snapping his gaze back to them. "Her HUSBAND!?" He seemed, in his anger, to look bigger somehow, the fur on his muzzle puffing up just a little. "I refuse to accept this! Such a beautiful angel… impossible! I'll FIX this situation easily enough!"

He raised his arms, and once again there was some kind of blast- like when Nami was first taken- that slammed into the wall where the two had been moments before dodging below the pews. Some kind of weapon… they couldn't see it, but if Nami could be made invisible then it stood to reason items could, too. It left a gaping hole in the wall the size of Lola, bits of plaster still raining down from the shell-shocked ceiling.

Nami noted that the attack could easily have taken her out, too, so she wondered if keeping her safe as his "bride" was a priority anymore?

"We have to make a run for it!" she hissed from their spot on the ground, "but fair warning- I'll probably fall on my face in this dress."

"If Sanji were here he would just carry you- but definitely don't expect that from me," Usopp noted, reaching into his bag and finding a small fishing knife. "Here- cut it. I'll try to get his attention somewhere else."

"I should what? You're going to what!?"

Usopp crawled in his belly under the pews, heading for the aisle, Nami had no idea what he was thinking, but she got to work as instructed- she cut the dress off at her thighs, the knife not really the best tool for creating anything but a very jagged, torn "design." She opted to keep the heels- it was better than no shoes at all, and she figured she was fairly apt at balancing in them. While she worked, Lola jumped at Absalom again and he fled, but was quickly caught midway down the aisle. She was quite strong, and more than capable of knocking him to the ground. Usopp apparently saw this as an opportunity, reaching out and smacking the guy's head with the hammer he had clutched in his fist.

It seemed to stun him just long enough for Lola to completely pin Absalom, once again attacking him with kiss-attempts. She hardly seemed to notice her future husband had been secretly bludgeoned… or maybe she just didn't particularly care.

Usopp stood up at the same time as Nami, now much better equipped to run away. The two nodded in silent agreement and bolted for the door.

The two ran as fast as their feet could carry them, arms pumping. They got a good ways along the covered parapet before a figure appeared, running so fast in the opposite direction he was almost a blur. In fact, the man nearly passed them, so laser-focused he was on the chapel door, fire blazing in his eyes (and in his lit cigarette). He stopped, hopping a little to slow himself down, and twirled on his heel to face the two retreating pirates.

"Sanji!" Nami cried. This was who Usopp had been expecting, surely- no way did Nami have to worry about the invisible man with one of the ship's stronger crewmates around.

"Thank god…" Usopp mumbled, sweat dripping down his brow from the effort he had been putting into not letting his nerves take over.

"Nami-swan!" Sanji called, dropping to one knee in a very dramatic gesture. "Your knight is here to rescue you!" He looked around at that, seeming to notice for the first time that danger did not appear to be near. He deflated a little, his face assuming what one could only call a pout. "Oh… no way… I was too late? I wanted to be your knight…"

"Oh, knight away!" Usopp encouraged, gesturing to the busted doors far at the opposite side of the covered walkway. "We barely made it out!"

Sanji looked from the far door, and back to Usopp, his face still a petulant mask. "I see. You got to rescue her. Congratulations…"

"You mean, 'it's wonderful someone was there to pull you out of the fire, Nami, even if it wasn't me,' right?" Nami asked with a click of her tongue, trying to remind Sanji of where his priorities should lie.

At that moment, another explosion rang out from the chapel, windows visible on the right side bursting, glass shards raining to the courtyard below. From the smoke a shadow appeared, walking through the ruined doorway.

"Again, we're actually still in need of rescuing…" Nami continued, which snapped Sanji right back to attention.

"Of course! I'll take care of this fool. Get Nami to safety," Sanji said, not taking his eyes off his new opponent.

"He can turn invisible!" Usopp called back helpfully as he ran away, Nami close at his heels.

Sanji didn't respond, instead choosing to grind his cigarette under his heel and pull a new one. He could handle the lion-man.